My eyes blinked open.
It's as if my mind has finally settled. I can think straight again. The smell of something herbal emanates from somewhere beyond the walls. I can hear it bubbling softly
My vision slowly focused, unblurring. Above me was a ceiling, wooden, uneven. Seemingly made of logs
Kareth Skathe: Where am I?
I blink slowly. My arms are numb, no longer in pain. My gaze drops to my body, covered in bandages from head to toe.
Kareth Skathe: I'm alive? How?
I lift my arms and plant my hands down on the surface below me. I feel my hands sink into the surface slightly
Kareth Skathe: It's soft? I'm in bed?
With a lot of effort I push myself up into a sitting position. Nearly collapsing as I do.
Pain riddles my body as I sit up, though much more bearable than the pain I was in before I woke up.
Suddenly I clear a noise from beyond the walls around me. Seemingly footsteps
The door creaks open.
I swiftly bring my hand to my side, where my sword should be. But my hand grips on nothing.
I see my sword and my armour laid out on the floor on the other side of the room from the bed I'm in.
A figure walks in from the door
???: "You're awake!"
His voice sounds very enthusiastic. Looking at him he's maybe slightly shorter than I am. Short brown hair and green eyes. Were rags similar to those which I have on now. He looks young, easily a few years younger than me. Though I don't even know how old I am.
A smile plastered over his face
???: "I was starting to think you wouldn't wake up."
I narrowed my eyes and gather the strength to talk
Kareth: "Who are you.. Where am I?"
I keep my voice low and emotionless. Attempting to show as little emotion as possible despite my surprise.
The boy raises his arms, palms facing forward,
???: "oh yeah. I'm Aric Veyrn. But you can just call me Aric."
He flashes a triumphant smile at me, as if just hearing his name would make me trust him
Aric: "Relax. I'm not going to rob you, kill you… harvest your organs or anything. Promise"
Kareth: Morbid…
Kareth: "... Comforting. I guess."
He chucked awkwardly and took a few steps into the room. His shoes clicking against the floor
Aric: "You've been out for about a week. Found you passed out at the edge of the clearing, barely breathing. Armor torn to shreds. Sword in hand. Well, barely. Looked like you'd wandered straight out of the Abyss."
Kareth: A week?
Kareth: "What happened to me?"
My throat dries from talking too much
Aric scratched the back of his neck.
Aric: "I was hoping you'd tell me. But judging from your face, you don't remember much."
He was right. I didn't. Not the pain that brought me here, not the light that led me in, and not what struck me down.
Aric: "You were attacked,Not by anything I could see. But… the forest is strange. Old. There's a spirit that drifts through sometimes. You feel it before you see it. Cold, heavy. Like something watching with eyes too big to blink."
Kareth: Yeah. That sounds accurate to what happened. I think
Aric: "Lucky you didn't die, Or maybe unlucky, depending on what your story is."
Kareth: "I don't know my story."
Aric blinked in surprise, his mouth going slightly agape, though only for a second.
Aric: "You… don't remember anything?"
Kareth: "Only my name. And that the sword over there belonged to me."
Kareth: Well. I still know how to speak. Walk. think. So it's just the memories that are gone.
Aric: "Woah. That's.. Deep"
He leaned back against the wall, very obviously at a loss for words.
Aric: "So let me get this straight. You're some wandering mystery guy with a badass sword, no memories, and you almost got taken out by the forest. Then I save you, drag you here, patch you up… and now you're staring at me like I kicked your dog.
I didn't have a response. I was just watching him. Like an instinct telling me to not trust anyone.
Kareth: There's no way he doesn't have a motive, surely nobody would nurse a sword carrying a stranger back to health just out of the kindness of their heart.
Aric: "your staring"
Kareth: "I don't trust you"
Aric chuckled in response
Aric: "because that wasn't obvious? I don't blame you though, It all seems very convenient doesn't it."
Kareth: He's right.
I cough, my throat is only getting drier with each word
Aric: "I'll go get you some water ok? I won't poison it. But I doubt you'll believe me."
Aric walks out of the room, returning some time later with a glass of water. He hands me the glass
Kareth: "thanks."
I take a sip. We sit in silence until I finish the glass, placing it on the side table just next to the bed.
Kareth: "Why did you save me? You had no reason to."
Aric: "You're right, I didn't. Doesn't mean I should've just left you to die."
Kareth: "What if I was evil and killed you when I woke up or something?"
Aric: "Because that totally would've happened."
Aric ends his remark with a light laugh. I suppose he's right though. Anyone would've come to the conclusion that I would've been too weak to fight, even after recovering for a week.
Aric: "Now I'm gonna go back to preparing dinner. Feel free to try walking. You should be strong enough by now."
Aric walks out of the room, his footsteps trailing off into what I assume to be the kitchen in this cabin. Humming away as he walks and presumably begins to finish up whatever he's cooking.
I stand up and follow him. With effort and steadying myself with furniture and the walks while I walk I managed to stumble into the kitchen and sit down on a chair. Looking around at the cabin. The cabin was simple. Seemingly hand made. Though likely not by Aric. At a guess it was made by his parents or something.
Kareth: "How long have you lived here? And why do you live alone?"
Aric: "I've been here my whole life. And I lived with my parents until a few years ago when they left and never came back."
Kareth: "Seems like your parents were assholes"
Aric: "Couldn't tell you. I don't really remember them."
With that remark Aric pours some soup into a bowl and places it in front of me with a spoon. I pick up the spoon and take a gulp of the soup. It tastes good. I'm not sure If I can trust Aric yet but I don't really have a choice for now. But this cabin sure is nicer than the wild.
Aric: "feel free to stay. Having company is nice."